Package stamper



Aug. 2 8, 1928.

P. M. NEJEDLY PACKAGE STAMPER 5 Sheets-Sheet l .x .MQ

Aug. 28, 1928.

P. M. NEJEDLY PACKAGE STAMPER Filed May 17, 192'. 5 Sheets-Sheet lN/VENTOR f v./l/ /f BY jf W f 'I /v ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1928.

P. M. NEJEDLY PACKAGE STAMPER Filed May 17, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet INVE TOR f .www

BY /g ATTORN EY 4 4, t R. H 2 Ol N 8 h Tl R S O 6 l a S V U e f 1 m mi., 5 Y B/ YRW QAM/f LES Dm... `EA JT? Esl Nwm. Mud me Rpm Aug. 28, 1928.

Aug. 28, 1928.

P. M. NEJEDLY PACKAGE STAMPER Filed May 17, 1927 5 sheets-sheet 5 ATTORN EY ing back and clearin runway, each package is guided b Patented ug. 28, 1928. p

UNITED STA TES n PATENT OFFICE.

PETER NEJEDLY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,- ABSIGNOB TO Amm IACHINE t FOUNDBY COMPANY, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

YACKAGE STAIPEB.

Application Med lay 17,

This invention relates to an improvement in a package stamper for attaching revenue stamps or labels to packages.

In the improved machine, the stamps or labels are stacked in a magazine from which they are successively delivered to a rotating turret, the turret successively bringing the packages into juxtaposition with a stamp transfer wheel, upon the perimeter of which a-stamp is deposited b'y a suction take-off for every package advanced into stamping posiftion, the package in advancing actuating a lever which closes a valveV of the suction pump and thereby makes the stamp take-off operative. The stamp, which is held on the transfer wheel by clamps While being carried to the package, receives a coat of paste from the perimeter of a rotating paste wheel. When the stamp on the transfer wheel is opposite the top of the package, the clamps are opened,

. thereby removing the stamp which is then pressed on to the package by a cam-operated arm provided with a set of fingers earmg upon the top and down one side of the package, one end of the stamp remainin loose at this stage. The package, still in t e turret, is then carried to the entrance of a delivery runway, from which position the turret continues without the package, the cam-operated package propelling fingers of'the turret foldthe package at this point. While the pac age is at rest at the runway entrance waiting to be pushed farther into the runway by the next package following, an arm similar to the first mentionedarm, descends upon it and seals the remaining end of the stamp, so that the stamp is attached to three surfaces of the package.

The delivery runway has stationary side walls and a movable cover Swingin on a hinge connected witha cam operate lever. As the packages in the runway move forward, its cover is lifted clear of the same, descending again after they have come to rest, thus preventing dislocation of the stamps before the paste has dried. On entering the two side springs provided with latches, tie latches being opened by the package on entering and snapping behind it after passage, thus preventing the package from falling back on to the turret. The underlying object of the invention is the production of a machine of the type above indicated. With this andother objects not specifically mentioned in view,

1927. erial No. 192,096.

the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter .fully described and then specifically set forth 1n the claims hereunto appended.

lIn the accompanying drawings, in whichv like .characters of reference indicate the same or l1ke parts, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the upper part of a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 1 is a fr ont elevation of the lower part of the same, F1gs..1 and l, when joined on the line I-1, forming a complete front elevation; Fig. 2 1s a side elevation of the u per art of the device'shown in Figs. 1 an 1; i 2a is a side elevation of the lower part of t e same, F1gs. 2 and 2, when joined on the line II-II, forming a complete side elevation; Fig. 3 1s an enlarged front view of the stamp takeoff and transfer device; Fig. 3 is a plan view from the line -a in Fig. 3, showing .the sta-mp depressing arm with its endsealing fingers; Fig. 4 is a side view, partl in section and taken from the line 4 4 in ig. 3, showing a package in Position for sealing the top and front end o the stamp; Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of the suction pump and valve actuating device; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary and partly sectional view, showing a package in position for sealing the rear end of the stamp; Fig. 6 is a lan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6, s owing the end" sealing arm and its actuating parts; and Fig. 7 is a rear view of the lower part of the stamp magazine as seen from the line 7-7 in Fig. 2, showing the arrangement of the suction pipe for withdrawing the stamps from the magazine. f

In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided continuously moving means for successively advancing packages, and means for successively attaching stamps to the packages in said advancing means. In the best constructions contemplated, there is further provided means for intermittently loading unstamped packages into said advancing means, and a delivery runway intermittentl receiving stamped packages from said a vancing means. These various parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the specific device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

The specific machine selected to illustrate the invention was especially designed to apply revenue stamps to cigarette packages.

, The ackages with their unsealed ends pointing orward are fed into a magazine 10, the lowermost package resting on a plunger 11, which is adjustably mounted on a head rovided on a link 12, which connects the en s of two parallel vertical levers 13 and 14, ful1 crumed on the studs 15 and 16, in a bracket 17, attached to the pedestal 18 of the machine. The lever lhas a cam slot 19, in which a roller 20 of a crank 21, operates. The turning of the crank 21, which is mounted on a shaft 22 driven by bevel gears 23 and 24 from a main shaft 25, thus imparts swinging motion to the lever 14, thereby causing the plunger 11 to move back and forth. When the plunger 11 has backed outwardly from underneath the ackages, the stack in the magazine will dro ldown on to a stationary table 26, over whic the lowermost package is pushed by the advancing plunger 1'1, into the arcuate channel 27. The remainder of the stack, upon removal of the bottom package, again comes to rest upon the plunger 11, so that one package at a time is normally delivered at regular intervals to the arcuate channel 27 by the reciprocating movement of the plunger.

In its forward movement to the channel 27 the package is guided by a vertical strip 28, attached to the table 26, mounted upon the bracket 29, on a frame 30, this strip being so positioned that in case the packages to be stamped are still partially open at one end and depend on the stamp to seal them, the upper edge of the strip 28 closes the under flap of the open end of the descending package and opens wide its upper flap, causing the latter to stick out horizontally. The arcuate channel 27 has two arcuate side walls 27 and 31, and a curved top wall 32, fastened to the table 26 and frame 30 by angles 33, 34 and 35 respectively.

Arrived in the arcuate channel 27, the package is picked u by a turret 36, mounted on a horizontal sha t 37, which is continuously driven by a spur gear 38 meshing with a pinion 39 on a shaft 40, having a sprocket 41, connected by a chain 42 with a sprocket 43 on the main shaft 25 before referred to. YThe latter has a pulley 44, driven by a belt 45, from a ulley 46, on a jack shaft 47, which is driven rom a motor 48, by a belt 49, runnin over a pulle 50.

T e turret 36 as package pushing fingers 51, pivoted on studs 52, supported on symmetrically spaced arms 36, the fingers 51 being normally held in substantially radial positions. On the studs 52 are clamped levers 53, controlled by rollers 54, running in the track of a cam 55, attached to the frame 30. Each turret finger 51 normally takes a package off the table 26 and pushes it along the arcuate channel 27 the packages in transit resting on the ledges 56 of the turret arms 36. At the highest point of the channel,27, the package is directly under a stamp transfer wheel 57 and receives a stamp from an arm 58 associated with said wheel. The turret then pushes the package into a delivery runway 59 far enou h Lfior the partly sealed stamp to be secure in place by an end sealing arm 60; whereupon the cam 55 causes the lever 53 of the highest turret arm to swing back its finger 51 so as to clear the package just delivered, and that turret arm continues -its rotation without a packa e until it has again arrived at the table 26, y which time its finger 51 has resumed its normal radial position.

On entering the channel 27 the lower ed e of the top wall 32 folds down the outstic ing upper flap of the package, and the top wall 32 then holds down both flaps of the open end until the stamp is attached.

The stamp transfer wheel 57 is driven by an intermediate spur gear 61, mounted loosely on a stud 62 and meshing with a spur gear 63 on a shaft 64, and with a pinion 39 on the shaft 40 which, as before stated, is driven from the main shaft 25. The shaft 25 carries a hand wheel 65, the bevel gear 24, a cam 66, a clutch sleeve 67 and a clutch 68, which is mounted within a pulley 44. The shaft 40 and stud 62 are supported by a bracket 69 attached to the frame 30.

When being raised in the channel 27 by the turret, the package slips under and lifts the end of a lever 70 mounted on a shaft 71, su ported by brackets 72 and 73, attached to t e magazine 10 and to a pump housing 74 respectively. On the shaft 7l, is mounted a lever 75, carrying a pin 76, which, in the normal or lowermost position of the lever 70, engages a valve lever 77, pivoted on a stud 78 1n the pump housing 74, thereby opening an air vent 79 of the suction pump and causing the latter to take in air at that point. When, however, the lever 70 is raised by a passing package, the pin 76 will disengage the valve lever 77 thereby closin the air vent 79 and forcing the pump to ta e air through a pipe 8O connecting the pump with the stamp takeoff, The pump 74 is driven from the shaft 40, the crank 81 carried by the latter being connected by a rod 82 with the pump piston 83.

The stamps are stacked in a magazine 84, which has a plate 85 partially closing its bottom and preventing the stamps from falling out. On the magazine 84 is fastened a brack' et 86 which carries a stud 87, on which is mounted a double lever having arms 88 and 89. The arm 88 carries an air port 90, connected by a hose 91 with the pipe 80; and the arm 89 has a fork which engages a pin 92 carried b v a bracket 93 attached to the frame 30. By givin the magazine 84 a swinging motion, the igever 88 (as soon as its arm 89 is held by the pin 92) is caused to rock on the stud 87 thereby imparting to the ends of the curved suction pipes 94, attached to the air port. 90, an up and down motion.

The'stamp magazine 84 is suspended from 'the package magazine 10 by means of a brack- 99 connected to a pivot 100 on the magazine 84 by a rod 101. The lever 99 is mounted on a shaft102, journaled in a bear-ing 103 of the frame 30, and it is rocked by alever 104, controlled by a cam roller 105 engaging a cam track provided in a spur gear 106 on the shaft 64.

The up and down movement of the suction pipes 94 brings them alternately into contact with the bottom stamp in the magazine 84, and with the perimeter of the transfer Wheel 57 before referred to. When there is suction in the pipe 80, which is the case every time a package passes along the channel 27, the pipes 94, While in Contact with the stamp stack, will Withdraw the bottom stamp, the knife edge 107 preventing the next stamp from sticking to the one being removed. The suction pipes 94 carry the stamp taken from thc magazine down to the perimeter of the Wheel 57, which is provided with three annular grooves into which, at the bottom of the Wheel 57 the three fingers of the stamp depressing arm 58 project, While into the two outer grooves, at the top of the wheel, the ends of the suction pipes 94 project The stamp transfer Wheel 57 is provided with two diametrically opposite pairs of clamps 108, pivoted on studs 109, carried by brackets 110, extending from the sides of the wheel. The clamps on the Same side ofthe wheel 57 are connected together by rods 111 and 112, so that as one pair of clamps is open, the other pair is closed. Blocks 113 and 114 attached tothe wheel 57, carry studs 115, on which swing levers 116 and 117 respectively, connected with the rods 111 and 112 by means of pins 118. A pin 119 in the end of the lever 116 engages the forked end of the lever 117, thereby causing the motion of the lever 116 to be transmitted to the lever 117 a tension spring 120 connecting the levers at their opposite ends. The connecting rod 112 has a spur 121 near each of its ends, through either A of which its position is reversed by means of a push finger 122 at every half revolution of the Wheel 57. A stamp deposited on the Wheel 57 by the suction pipes 94 is held fast by one of the pairs of clamps 108, and travels through half of a revolution during which it receives a coating of paste by Contact with the paste Wheel 123. At the end of the half revolution, when the stamp 1s at the top of a package, the push finger 122, operated by a cam 124 on the shaft 40, depresses the spur 121, thereby opening the bottom clamps holding the stamp and at the same time closing the top clamps on theV posite side of the. wheel 57, and clamping fzist the next stamp which is just being de ivered by the suction arm.

The paste wheel 123 is mounted on a shaft 125, supported in bearings 126 and 127 on the paste reservoir 128, and it has a spur gear 129 driven by the spur gear 106 on the shaft 64. The paste wheel has two annular grooves so spaced that the remaining three collar-like portions of its perimeter register with the three grooves in the transfer wheel 57. thus preventing paste from touching the perimeter of the latter when no stamp is carried by it. The paste reservoir 128 has a slide rail 130, fitting a groove in a bracket 131.0n the frame 30, so that the entire pasting unit can be readily removed from the machine for cleaning and re-flling. At the topside of the paste wheel 123, the top of the reservoir carries a doctor`132, which lits around the paste collars and in the grooves of the wheel 123, and scrapes superfluous paste from them back into the reservoir. To the bracket 131 is also attached the pump housing 74. i

' The clamp operating push finger 132 is attached to a block 133, mounted in a slide 134, to which is imparted an up and down movement by a lever 135, having a roller 136 in engagement with the cam 124 on the shaft 40.

The slide 134 also imparts an up and down movement to the stamp arm 58, which seals the top and forward end of the stamp, and to the arm 60, which sinooths down the already sealed top of a stamp and seals the rear end of the same. Fingers 137, adjustably attached to the sides of the transfer Wheel 57, bring the upper edge of the package wrapper Within the reach of the sealing fingers 138 of the arm 60, thereby preventing these fingers from doubling up or tearing the Wrapper when sealing the rear end of the stamp.

The arm 58 is adjustably mounted on a lever 139, which carries a roller 140 engaging a track in the block` 133. /The lever 139 is pivoted on a stud 141 which is moved back and forth by a bell crank lever 142, fulcrumed on a. stud 143, and operated by means of arod 144 connected to a cam lever 145, which swings on a stud 146, and has a rollel 147 engaging the cam 66 on the main shaft 25. The arm 58 thus receives an up and down motion as well as a horizontal back and forth motion, the latter permitting it to remain in engagement with the package during part of its forward travel upon applying the stamp, and the former dsengaging it from the stamped package andpushing down a stamp on the next package.

The stamp end sealing arm 60 is adjustably attached to a forked lever 148, pivoted on a stud 149, supported by a bracket 150 on lll! the arm 30, a pin 151, attached to the block 133, engaging the forked end of the lever 148 and imparting to it the up and down motion of the slide 34. By setting the positions of the arms 58 and 60 on their arcuate levers, the end scalinor lingers 152 and 138 respectively (Fig. 33 of these arms can be adjusted for different thicknesses of packages. Adjustment for different breadths of packages is attained by so mounting one or both side walls of the magazine 10, of the arcuate channel, and of the delivery runway 59, that they can be moved through the desired range.

The runway 59 has a. bottom plate 153, a short stationary front top plate 154, a long movable rear top plate 155, and two side walls 59 and 156. The side wall 59 is fastened on hinges 157 and held in position by a lock bar 158, this arrangement permitting inspection of the finished packages without disturbing the operation of the machine. And at the receiving ends, the side wall 59 and 156 have longitudinally approaching springs 159, the ends of which carry small wedge-shaped latches 160 which are spread apart by, and then closed behind, the entering package, and prevent it from falling back. The side wall 156 is stationary, being attached by the angle 161 to the bottom plate 153, which is supported by a bracket 162, fastened to the frame 30. Two narrow strips 163 (Figs. 3 and 6), fastened to the stationary top plate 154, which is mounted high enough to clear the package tops, reach over the stamp on either side of the arm 58 and thus prevent the latter from tearing the newly applied stamp olf the package when leaving the same.

On the bracket 162 is mounted a stand 164, which carries a pin 165, on which turns a hinge 166, to which is attached the movable top plate 155 which rests on the stop 167, carred by a lever 168, pivoted on a stud 169 in the stand 164, and connected by a rod 170 with the cam lever 145 actuated by the cam 66. The hinge 166 has a handle 171 by which the top plate 155 can be lifted clear of the stop 167. As the down movement of the cam lever 145, by the rod 144, moves the arm 58 forward with a freshly stamped package, it simultaneously causes the rod 170 to sutliciently raise the top plate 155, so that all previously stamped packages stacked in the runway will advance without disturbance of their still drying stamps by any weight resting upon them while moving. As soon as the stamped package has entered the runway while a new package has moved into stamping position, the upward movement of the cam lever 145, producing backward movement of the arm 58 to bring it into stamp delivery position, simultaneously lowers the rod 170, allowing the to plate 155 to descend upon the packages in t e runway and bear upon them as long as they remain stationary. WVhen the arms 58 and 60 and the plate 155 are in their raised position, the turret brings a new package into stamping position and advances a partly sealed package from the stamping position into the delivery runway, the entering package pushing the last finished package ahead and taking its place in the stamp end sealing position. The packages in the runway thus are moved forward by the new packages entering the same.

The machine is started and stopped by a hand lever 172, pivoted on a stud 173, attached to the pedestal 18, the lever 172 being connected by a rod 174 to a clutch shift lever 175, pivoted on a stud 176 in the frame, and engaging the clutch sleeve 67 on the main shaft 25, which actuates the clutch operating levers 177. The main shaft 25 is supported in bearings 178 and 179, attached to the frame 30; while the bearings 180 and 181, the for mer of which is integral with the main shaft bearing 178, and the latter of which is attached to the frame 30, carry the crank shaft 22. The pedestal 18 has bearings 182 and 183 for the jack shaft 47, and carries the bracket 184 for the motor 48.

I n view of the foregoing, a detailed description of the operation of the device is deemed unnecessary and is therefore omitted in the interest of brevity.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning flat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means,

2.' The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning flat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, and means for intermittently loading packages into said advancing means.

3. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning flat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, a package magazine, and means for successively transferring packages from said magazine to said advancing means.

4. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turnin flat packages endwise, of package-controlle means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, a package magazine alongside said advancing means, and means for successively transferring packages sidewise from said magazine to said advancing means.

5. Thecombination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, a package magazine, and a stationary table and coacting cam-actuated plunger for successively .transferring packages from said magazine over said table to said advancing means.

6. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and-turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, and a delivery runway intermittently receiving stamped packages from said admeans.

7. T e combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said ladvancing means, and a delivery runway intermittently receiving stamped packages from said advancing means and provided with latches opened b each oncoming package and snapping in ehind the same as said advancing means releases it.

'8. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, and a delivery runway intermittently receiving packages from said advancing means and provided with means for holding the stamps against the packages while the latter are stationary.

v9. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to thepackages moving in said advancing means, and a delivery runway intermittently-` receiving packages from said advancing means and provided with a cam-actuated cover for holding the stamps against the packages While the'latter are stationary.

10. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, said advancing means including a continuously rotating turret provided with package advancing fingers and with means for retracting said fingers to release the stamped packages.

11. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, said advancing means includinga continuously rotating turret provided with package advancing fingers and with camactuated means for swigning said fingers out of normal position to release the stamped packages.

12; The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning a break occurs in the continuity of packages' advanced.

13: The combination withcontinuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat Y packages endwise, of means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, and means for incapacitating said attaching means when a break occurs in the continuity of packages advanced includin a lever in the path of packages advanced y said advancing means and coitrolling the operation of said attaching means.

141. The combination with continuously' moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, said attaching means having means for attaching each stamp to three surfaces of each package.

15. The combination with continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, said attaching means including means for making each stamp adhesive immediately before attachment to a packa e.

16. The combination wit continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packa es moving in said advancing means, sai attaching means including a rotatin stamp transfer wheel and a coacting mova le arm for attaching each stamp to three surfaces of each packa e.

17. The combination wit continuously moving means for advancing and turning fiat packages endwise,l of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, said attaching means including a stamp magazine, and means for successively transferring stamps from said magazine to packa es in said advancing means.

18. he combination with continuously moving means for advancin and turning fiat packages endwise, of pac age-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, said attaching means includin a stamp magazine, a rotating transfer w eel for successively transferring stamps from said magazine to packages in said advancin means, and coacting means for attaching eac transferred stamp to three surfaces of each package.

fiat packages endwise, of package-controlled means for successively attaching stamps to the packages moving in said advancing means, a ackage magazine and means for successive y transferring packages from said magazine to said advancing means, a stamp magazine and means for successively transferring stamps from said magazine to ackages in said advancing means, and a de ivery runway intermittently receiving stamped packages from said advancing means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this'speciication.

PETER MARTIN N EJ EDLY. 

